A slump followed though and in the six seasons after that there were only six English quarter-finalists while in 2012-13 and 2014-15 no Premier League sides made the last eight.

Four English teams remain in the competition for the first time since 2009.

Former Liverpool star Andrea Dossena believes that Juventus will not want to face Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Two English sides met in last season's Champions League, of course, when Liverpool eliminated Manchester City in the quarter-final stage.

Everything inevitably comes to an end at some point but if an English team is to win the Champions League this season, they are likely to have to beat a team containing Messi or Ronaldo, or defeat both, in order to claim the trophy.

Pep Guardiola's free-scoring City are the favourites with the bookmakers after their 10-2 aggregate thrashing of German club Schalke in the last 16.

Liverpool can return to the top of the Premier League with a win at Fulham on Saturday.

"Every team left in the competition is a good side", said Milner.

Tottenham Hotspur had already made it through to the last eight with a 4-0 aggregate drubbing of Borussia Dortmund while United's dramatic victory over Paris St Germain put them back in the last eight for the first time in five years.

"They deserve to be there and we know they will be tough teams".

Messi, whose brilliance was key to Guardiola's two Champions League triumphs with Barcelona, is just as risky as Ronaldo and it will be intriguing to see whether any of England's four clubs can find a way to overcome the game's two modern greats.

It's going to be a free for all in the quarter-final stage, as previous stipulations stopping teams from the same Champions League group or the same country from facing each other are thrown out of the window.

They are doing so, so well during the competition that I think it would be unbelievable for one of them.

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